Terminal construction



1959 c. H. FLUBACKER I 2,872,506

TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 1'7, 1951 HHHI I 1H jjz aiqwzb United States Patent TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION Charles H. Flubacker, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Cook Electric Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 17, 1951, Serial N 0. 226,877

1 Claim. (Cl. 174-153) This invention relates to a terminal construction and has for its object the provision of a simple, light weight, inexpensive and sturdy device.

To this end, a terminal construction has been devised which involves a minimum number of simple parts which can be easily and readily assembled and a hermetical seal obtained between the outside of the enclosure to which the connections are made and the interior of this enclosure in which the service leads are connected.

The invention is directed to the parts and their assembly forming the terminal construction, their simplicity, ease of assembly and the efiicient connection each makes.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a terminal housing having a bank of terminal connections embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a single connection;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a terminal connection showing the parts comprising the same.

As illustrated in the drawing, the structure embodying the terminal connections may be in the form of a housing 1 of any desirable design into which a cable 2 may be led and the conductors 3 secured to terminals 4 at the ends of terminal posts 5.

Terminal posts 5 extend through a wall 6 so that the circuit connections may be brought from one side of this wall to the other in a simple and inexpensive manner, the connections maintaining a seal at the wall. In this way, terminals 4 may be retained in a gas-filled or evacuated chamber if so desired, or moisture may be prevented from entering the chamber.

Whatever may be the housing structure used, wall 6 is adapted to be apertured at 7. A bushing 8 is secured to Wall 6, say, by a shoulder 9 bearing against the underside of wall 6. Body 10 of bushing 8 extends through aperture 7 and terminates in an inwardly turned shoulder 11. To assure an effective seal and as a precaution, wall 6 is brazed, welded or soldered at 12 to bushing 8 where body 10 emerges from aperture 7. This union has the further advantage of holding bushing 8 fixed in Wall 6 so that it will not drop out of aperture 7 when the parts of the assembly are dismantled.

Each terminal connection includes a terminal lug 15 secured to the upper end of its post 5. The exact connection may vary although it is found that riveting or swaging the end of the post 5 as at 16 to terminal lug 15 makes a very efiective connection.

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Terminal lugs 15 are preferably somewhat vL-shaped with the horizontal leg 17 seated upon the floor 18 of a compartment or three-sided chamber 19 of insulation member 20. The vertical leg 21 is turned slightly at an angle to the vertical and is provided with a threaded opening 22 and flared corners 24, leaving a limited but unobstructed space between the flared corners so that the leads 25 may lie between these flared corners at the unobstructed space and thus be held from slipping free of its connection with screw 26 or being tilted accidentally to contact an adjacent terminal lug or circuit wire.

Chambered members 20 have sleevelike extensions 27 extending downwardly into bushings 8. Sleeves 27 err gage the shoulders 11 and abut against insulation gaskets 28 disposed in bushings 8. The opposite end of posts 5 have means associated therewith to draw chambered members 20 downwardly against bushings 8 and sleeves 27 into and compressed against insulation gaskets 28 to provide an effective seal between the inside and outside of the terminal housing structure along terminal posts 5. It will be observed that the lower face of sleeve 27 may be conically cut to aid this sleeve 27 in biting more effectively into gasket 28, which, as will be ob served, is insulation material.

This means may be in the form of an insulation washer 29, a metal washer 30 and a nut 31 threading upon the end of the terminal post 5. By making washer 29 of insulation material, an insulated mounting for terminal lug 15 and terminal post 5 is obtained. Bushing 8 will be in contact with wall 6, but parts 20, 27, 28 and 29 will keep it out of electrical contact with terminal lug 15 and terminal post 5. The lower end of such terminal post may then be formed into terminal connection 4 to which the numerous conductors 3 in cable 2 may be connected. Cable 2 may be connected at 35in any way well known to provide a gas or moisture tight connection.

Fig. 4 illustrates the few parts forming the simple terminal mounting disclosed herein. The chambered member 20 permits a number of such terminal mountings to be place together in close relation without the danger of shorting the circuits by accidental crossing of adjacent conductors. The connections at 4 to terminal posts 5 may be of a permanent connection, if so desired, and the line connections with terminal lugs 15 may be readily changed from time to time as service requirements demand with little trouble or likelihood of confusion.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claim.

I claim:

An insulated terminal mounting comprising a wall provided with an aperture, a bushing, oppositely extending shoulders on said bushing, one of said shoulders engaging and being fixed to the underside of said wall, the body of said bushing extending through said aperture, a chambered insulation member, a sleeve extending from said chambered member adapted to be drawn into said bushing body, a terminal lug positioned in said 3 chambered member, a post fixed to said terminal lug passing through said sleeve and said bushing, a gasket in said bushing adapted to be compressed by said sleeve and to be engaged by the other shoulder of said bushing, and means for drawing said sleeve against said gasket comprising an insulation washer and a threaded connection on the end of said post.

4 De Lange et a1. Sept. 3, Henry Mar. 18, Korte et al. Oct. 28, Boucher et a1. Dec. 8, Ilker et a1. Mar. 18, Touborg Aug. 12, Fields Apr. 24, Melcher May 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS Canada Jan. 25, 

